Boat docking tool

ABSTRACT

A pole and loop device to assist in the maneuver of docking and undocking of boats. The tool consists of a metal loop which is fixed at the distal end of a pole, with a small loop fastened to the proximal end of said pole, said small loop being adaptable for fastening to a docking line. The metal loop of the tool is used to snare the dock cleat or bollard from the boat, when approaching the dock, and the tool may be utilized to permanently tie the boat to the dock bollard, or the tool may be removed after other permanent docking lines have been secured between boat and dock.

United States Patent 1191 Pina 1451 Jan. 21, 1975 [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY. a part interest 22 Filed: June 4, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 366,964

52 U.S. c1. 114/230, 294/19R [51 1m.c1 ..B63b 21/04 [58] Field 61 Search 114/231, 230, 221 R; 294/19 R;119/96,151,153,154

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 643,673 2/1900 Morris 119/153 1,168,126 2/1916 Symes 114/230 1,536,701 5/1925 Buckingham 114/120 1,763,181 6/1930 Reeves 119/153 1,852,629 4/1932 Sturges 114/230 3,677,597 7/1972 Stipek 114/230 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 89,157 4/1937 Sweden 1. 114/221 Primary ExaminerRobert G. Sheridan Assistant Examiner-Gary L. Auton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Howard 1. Podell [57] ABSTRACT A pole and loop device to assist in the maneuver of docking and undocking of boats. The tool consists of a metal loop which is fixed at the distal end of a pole, with a small loop fastened to the proximal end of said pole, said small loop being adaptable for fastening to a docking line. The metal loop of the tool is used to snare the dock cleat or bollard from the boat, when approaching the dock, and the tool may be utilized to permanently tie the boat to the dock bollard, or the tool may be removed after other permanent docking lines have been secured between boat and dock.

1 Claim, 5 Drawing Figures BOAT DOCKING TOOL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the handling of small power boats, the critical op erations of docking and undocking the boat may be difficult under adverse conditions of wind and current, and particularly at a crowded dock or in a marina with considerable traffic. The difficulty arises largely from the need of achieving a very close approach to the dock or pier when utilizing conventional docking procedures and equipment in order to secure the boat lines to the dock cleats or bollards. The problem becomes more acute when there is no person on the dock to whom the boat lines can be thrown or handed.

The present invention greatly simplifies the docking and undocking maneuvers by allowing the docking lines to be secured to, or removed from the cleats or bollards while the boat is at a safe distance from the dock in either the docking or undocking maneuver.

A further advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the invention, when fastened to a dock bollard or cleat simultaneously permits the use of either tension force to pull the boat closer to the dock, or compression force to push the boat away from the dock as required by safety and convenience.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention consists of a metal hoop, which may be covered by a rubber or plastic material, with said hoop rigidly fastened to the distal end of a pole to which a docking line may be fastened. The docking line is tied about a ring which is preferably fastened to the proximal end of the pole.

The pole may be of solid construction, or preferably be formed of a hollow tubular construction, with the hollow tubular space sealed to furnish flotation properties to the tool if it is dropped in the water.

A hook may be fastened to the pole in the general distal area to assist in the catching of a pier cleat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The objects and features of the invention may be understood with reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the docking tool being utilized to fasten a boat to a dock bollard;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the docking tool;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-section of the loop and distal end of the docking tool;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the loop and distal end of the docking tool; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view ofan alternate form ofthe docking pole.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates a powerboat 12 being docked, with the skipper 11 holding docking tool by handle 16 and securing the mooring ring at the distal end of said tool 10, to the bollard 13 ofthe dock 14. The boat 12 may be hand held in this position while other docking lines are fastened about either the bollard 13 or the dock cleat 18, or the dock ing line fastened at the proximal end of the handle 16 of the tool 10 may be tied to a cleat on the deck of the boat to fasten the tool in place while the boat 12 remains docked.

As shown in FIG. 2, a docking line 25 may be tied at the small ring 19 which is fastened to the proximal end of the handle 16 by means of collar 20. Collar 20 fastens over the tubing of handle 16. A reinforcing cable 23 may be tied inside the interior sealed hollow section 27 from the small ring 19 at one end of the tubular handle 16 to the mooring ring 15 at the other end of the handle 16, said cable 23 absorbing the tension forces between the docking line 25 and the mooring ring 15.

An external hook 17 may be fastened to the distal end of the handle 16, and said hook may be covered with rubber or plastic at tip 24.

The handle section 16 of the tool is preferably formed of metal tubing which is sealed at each end to furnish flotation properties to the tool 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, a mooring ring 35 may be formed ofa continuous welded loop of wire which is fitted into the hollow arms 33 which branch from the end of the coupling arm bracket 31 that couples the mooring ring to the distal end of the handle 16. An additional small ring 32 may be fastened to the coupling arm bracket 31 within the plane of the mooring ring 35 for fastening the tool to a small projection when desired, or for use with the docking pole of FIG. 5 as described further.

An alternate embodiment of the mooring ring 50 and coupling arm bracket 41 is shown in FIG. 4. The coupling arm bracket 41 contains two curved concentric holes 43 and 44 through which a length of the wire 45 is looped. One end 46 of the wire 45 may be enlarged or headed to a larger diameter than the diameter of the hole 43 through the coupling arm bracket 41, while the other end of the wire 45 may be formed with slots 47 or circular grooves into which a screw 49 threaded in the side of the coupling arm bracket unit 41 tightens against slot 47 in the wire 45 to lock the wire 45 and form the desired size loop 50. As shown in FIG. 3, the coupling arm bracket 31 may be fitted with a hollow collar 48, that fits over the end of the handle 16 of the tool 10, or as shown in FIG. 4, the coupling arm bracket 41 may be fitted with a solid collar 48A which fits into the interior 27 of the tube of the handle 16.

The diameter of the wire loop 50 may be readily adjusted by loosening screw 49 and sliding the wire 45 to form a loop 50 of the desired smaller or larger diameter, and then retightening the locking screw 49. A fixed eye ring 32 may be fastened to the coupling arm bracket 41.

An alternate embodiment of the docking pole 60 shown in FIG. 5 features an axial hole 61 at the distal end of the pole with a boat hook 65 located to the side of the distal end of pole 60.

The proximal end of pole 60 features a collar 63 with a wedge-shaped axial opening 62 for the gripping of a section of docking line. In use, the collar 48A of the loop section 50, shown in FIG. 4, is inserted in axial hole 61 of pole 60. One end of the docking line is inserted through eye 32 of the loop section 50 and the line is then run along the length of pole 60 to the notchshaped opening 62 in which the line is drawn so as to tighten the line in the notch of opening 62. The pole 60 may then be held in one hand grasping the line doubled about the proximal end of pole 60. In docking a boat,

the loop 50 at the distal end of the pole 60 is passed over the bollard 13 on the dock, taking the knotted end of the docking line with it, and freeing the loop 50 from the pole 60. Simultaneously, the end of the line fastened in the wedge-shaped opening 62 of the proximal end of the pole is also freed from the pole 60 and run out by hand to the proper length and then fastened to the boat cleat.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A lightweight tool for assisting in the docking manuever of a boat, consisting of a pole, an ajustable mooring ring detachably fixed to the distal end of the pole, said mooring ring fitted with an eye member for fastening to a mooring line, and notch means at the proximal end of the pole for frictionally gripping a line that is tied to the eye member of the mooring ring,

said mooring ring fixed to the pole so that movement of the mooring ring in the axial direction of the pole and away from the pole acts to free the mooring ring from the pole, while a force acting on the mooring ring in the axial direction of the pole towards the pole acts to retain the mooring ring fastened to the pole, such that a flexible line tied to the eye member of the mooring ring, tightly drawn against the pole, and gripped by the notch means at the proximal end of the pole maintains the mooring ring fastened to the pole,

permitting said mooring ring and line to be freed from the pole when the line is manually disengaged from the notch means, and the pole manually pulled away from the mooring ring,

said adjustable mooring ring formed of a length of wire in the shape of a loop held in place by a bracket fitted with two generally parallel holes, with each end of the length of wire passing through one of the holes of the bracket, together with fastening means to hold each end of the loop in place in its respective bracket hole, one of said fastening means being releasable. 

1. A lightweight tool for assisting in the docking manuever of a boat, consisting of a pole, an ajustable mooring ring detachably fixed to the distal end of the pole, said mooring ring fitted with an eye member for fastening to a mooring line, and notch means at the proximal end of the pole for frictionally gripping a line that is tied to the eye member of the mooring ring, said mooring ring fixed to the pole so that movement of the mooring ring in the axial direction of the pole and away from the pole acts to free the mooring ring from the pole, while a force acting on the mooring ring in the axial direction of the pole towards the pole acts to retain the mooring ring fastened to the pole, such that a flexible line tied to the eye member of the mooring ring, tightly drawn against the pole, and gripped by the notch means at the proximal end of the pole maintains the mooring ring fastened to the pole, permitting said mooring ring and line to be freed from the pole when the line is manually disengaged from the notch means, and the pole manually pulled away from the mooring ring, said adjustable mooring ring formed of a length of wire in the shape of a loop held in place by a bracket fitted with two generally parallel holes, with each end of the length of wire passing through one of the holes of the bracket, together with fastening means to hold each end of the loop in place in its respective bracket hole, one of said fastening means being releasable. 